Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
Not to give too much away, but this is true and is going to have some big effects this turn
NESLife V
- Thread starter Daftpanzer
- Start date
Not to give too much away, but this is true and is going to have some big effects this turn
erez87
Lord of Random
We all know it's an Ice Age with very little warm areas (which are my favorites!).Not to give too much away, but this is true and is going to have some big effects this turn
Also, should you put a deadline now for evolutions and have us an update in some time?
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
Yes, very well - any more evolutions, please post within 24 hours from this post. I could fit a couple more in 
---
Just had a session and have everything drawn up on the tree of life, looks nice! Everything has branched nicely except for the Toxifilium and Neofloatus lines.
Tentative update goal: Friday evening (unless I am out with friends).
Also, apologies if I've been a bit angsty/blunt with my comments recently. I think this is preferable to me just procrastinating about everything tho
---
Just had a session and have everything drawn up on the tree of life, looks nice! Everything has branched nicely except for the Toxifilium and Neofloatus lines.
Tentative update goal: Friday evening (unless I am out with friends).
Also, apologies if I've been a bit angsty/blunt with my comments recently. I think this is preferable to me just procrastinating about everything tho
erez87
Lord of Random
May I use the fact we are friends of Facebook to make sure no one goes out with you on Friday 
? Would that be evil?
? Would that be evil?
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
I don't see how you could sabotage me on FB. Everyone already knows I'm a goofball
erez87
Lord of Random
So how is the progress going ?
?
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
On Friday, I suddenly rediscovered Minecraft! Not going to lie. I fail as a human being, sorry guys. Update tomorrow? 
MoreEpicThanYou
The most Epic.
Ah, Minecraft. I got it in January of last year, and I'm still not bored of it. 
Immaculate
unerring
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2003
- Messages
- 7,623
Is that anything like minesweeper because... OH BOY! minesweeper is so awesome. I can do it on the big game board.
MoreEpicThanYou
The most Epic.
You'd better keep to your promise about an update today, or the Update Patrol Squad WILL find you. 
erez87
Lord of Random
Yeah!You'd better keep to your promise about an update today, or the Update Patrol Squad WILL find you.
I'll post on your Facebook telling everyone not to talk to you until you update!
bonefang
Emperor
That
is blackmailing .. :O
is blackmailing .. :O
MoreEpicThanYou
The most Epic.
Time's up, Daft... 
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
I'm sorry guys!
ANYWAY, I have dragged myself away from the amazing game. This NES is also pretty amazing for me to be modding. I finished the species graphics last week, still working on writing the update and deciding what survives. I am pretty tried so don't think I can update this evening either :/ But its coming!
Spoiler About :
ANYWAY, I have dragged myself away from the amazing game. This NES is also pretty amazing for me to be modding. I finished the species graphics last week, still working on writing the update and deciding what survives. I am pretty tried so don't think I can update this evening either :/ But its coming!
filli_noctus
Hmmn
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2010
- Messages
- 2,221
Curse you, Notch! ![[pissed]](/images/smilies/pissed.gif "Pissed [pissed]")
p)
p)
tuxedohamm
Disguised as crow.
I have to say, I enjoyed the Day 2 and 3 journal entries I read on FB. But I think I've read up enough here now that I can submit an evolution once the next update rolls around.
MoreEpicThanYou
The most Epic.
So Daft, when can we expect the update? The Update Patrol Squad needs information...
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
You're not helping anyone with the thread bumping. Please don't. I told you I've been working on it.
I wanted to post this evening, but RL... Just got a couple of hours work in today.
I wanted to post this evening, but RL... Just got a couple of hours work in today.
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
Era 3: the Frigurian Era
Link to video.
This era is named after the Frigus, a type of cold-adapted free-floating algae that bloomed in enormous quantities after the end of the Petrosian era. As the climate cooled, conditions in the polar seas greatly favoured the growth of Frigus, which led to a feedback effect; as sea levels dropped due to thick glaciers over the north polar continent, this had left some isolated seas that were poorly circulated and had anoxic conditions at the bottom. Here especially, Frigus remains fell to the sea floor at a faster rate than they could be scavenged or decomposed by bacteria. This led to a steady leaching of carbon from the atmosphere over many thousands of years, leading to ever cooler temperatures and ever greater blooms of Frigus - a runaway cycle that did not end until both poles had completely frozen over, while most other complex lifeforms had already been banished to a relatively narrow band of habitats around the equator.
Frigus had accidentally terraformed the planet for its own benefit, blooming in greater numbers than any other single species of complex life up until this point, and the global climate was now at its coldest point for hundreds of millions of years. The Frigurian Era had begun.
Across the board, this era was marked by many extinctions and population crashes. Most of the Petrosian flora and fauna were able to survive, and indeed continued to evolve and adapt, however the loss of suitable warm habitat and fluctuating sea levels greatly upped the stakes for survival. It was not quite a major extinction event, but all branches of life were thinned out; a notable victim was the Spirulus, an iconic lifeform of the previous eras, which was overtaken by changing conditions and competition from its more sophisticated relatives.
The Circulatus was one such species, a bottom-dwelling creature that became king of what remained of the warm shallow seafloor. Continuing the Spiculid dominance of the food chain, well armed with harpoons, teeth and spikes, armoured within a fused exterior shell, and well equipped with senses, it was able to sniff out meals including its simpler cousin the Avaricus, which soon became extinct. Circulatus needed all of these tools as prey became much more difficult to crack.
Dentius was a more humble creature, but also highly successful, as it evolved its own shell in reponse to Spiculid dangers. Dentius also had its own set of sharp extendible teeth, designed for scraping bacteria and algae from sea rocks but equally dangerous to delicate sensory organs of the Circulatus and Tremulus. Dentius was able to thrive at the expense of other shallow-water creatures such as the Oreallie, and its own ancestor the Locosensus, in time outnumbering the Circulatus and becoming one of the characteristic fossils laid down at this time.
With their shells providing some protection, both Dentius and Circulatus could make short forays out of water onto equatorial beaches, joining declining populations of Polychende in a fight for food among the tide pools. But when it came to survival on land, animal life was lagging far behind plant life...
Meanwhile, strange new creatures upset the balance in the shallows. Carnes Vermis was a radical evolution of the ancient horsehockytu, which had developed a sharp beak to defend its burrow entrances and a primitive internal skeleton to support the necessary muscles. Combined with its burrowing tendencies the Carnes was very difficult prey, and in its adult form could even go swimming above the sediment, searching for prey of its own.
But strangest of all was the Chalivermis, which had evolved from deep-sea Soleneids and was genetically distinct from anything else living in the shallows. Here it continued the Soleneid speciality of sifting through sediment and cultivating bacteria in its digestive tract, with benefits for the cycling of nutrients throughout the shallows. It was however far from being a helpless worm-analogue, as it was protected with powerful jaws and flexible scale armour.
Creeposilvaetus was a notable success among the warm-water algaeforms, being versatile enough to live as spires attached to the seabed or drifting as smaller clumps or individuals in open water. Thicker outer skins provided some measure of defence from nibbling animals, and also some defence against drying out if caught out by the tide, allowing it to grow more comfortably in the large tidal zones and estuaries that had been created by falling sea levels.
The Petrosa Sparguntur, icon of the previous era, retained a stable population but was now concentrated in a few major reef areas that had suitable combination of shallow rocky seabeds and reliably warm temperatures. These reefs were the last outposts of the shy Oreallie, which emerged at night to scavenge among the Petrosa towers, and the flambouyant Aguvericus that now used its speed and eyesight to snatch individual larvae swimming in the reef and to stay away from most other creatures.
The reefs were also home to large numbers of Astercula, descended from the passive drifting branch of Spiculids, which accidentally formed a kind of mutalism with the Petrosa spires; Astercula colonies attached themselves with barbed spikes to the surface of the spires, clearing them of entangling growths such as the parasitic Ngarta and Atjja, and providing additional defence against attack by Oreallie, in return benefiting from the water current generated by the Petrosa and claiming a share of the plankton it carried. Eventually, newly-grown spheres of Astercula would carry Petrosa larvae away with them as they drifted off into open water.
The adaptable Astercula were also at home in open water, attaching to growths of algae and Filiophyta. However, the oceans were empty compared to previous eras. Rarely were the waters both warm enough and rich enough in nutrients to support the vast floating colonial masses that had characterised the Petrosian era; both Photofilium and Neofloatus were completely extinct by the end of this era.
The Gaiafilium was a new, adaptable branch of Filiophyta that had most success as free swimming individuals, though could form large colonies when conditions were right. Like the Photofilium, it filtered plankton and made use of sunlight for some of its biochemistry. It was the main prey of the Virafilium, a vicious predatory cousin that had turned defensive poison spines into an offensive weapon, combined with primitive eyesight for tracking down prey.
Spirulids suffered a marked decline in the open ocean. Tremulus no longer had masses of algae and colonial filter-feeders to plough through. Its new cousin the Helicus was similarly a rare and beautiful sight; though equipped with water jet propulsion providing rapid bursts of speed – another example of the versatility of the Spirulid body form - it was relegated to a largely passive plankton-eating lifestyle by competition with the Virafilium, and was ousted from the shallows by the Circulatus. It did however have one advantage in the form of its temperature sensitivity, which was not so useful for hunting as for following ocean currents that were ideal for plankton.
The most succesful algaeforms in the open water were non-colonial. The Felis struggled to survive in the shadow of its descendent the Felidae, which now combined its evasive swimming response with coordinated poisoning of the water in response to animal attacks. Efficient photosynthesis and massive production of spores ensured the survival of these species in the warmer water.
However, as mentioned, it was their cousin the Frigus which had the greatest success of all. Although its biochemistry was adapted for colder conditions, it could still thrive in warmer water. Mild poison made the Frigus harder to digest and it was not a favourite meal of any animal. It was able to spread freely across the globe, spreading back and forth between the poles as seasons progressed. Though it could not survive the harshest, icy waters, it now had a far greater zone of habitability, and could bloom unchecked during the long polar summers. By the midpoint of the Frigurian era, at any given time, the Frigus had greater biomass than all other complex life combined.
Inevitably, though, other lifeforms also began to adapt to the cold. The Locofrigus spread to cooler shallows abandoned by other lifeforms, using its sense of smell to scavenge for detritus among the sediments without much trouble from predators. It too began to breed in great numbers. Meanwhile the Atjja was another cold-adapted algaeform, rather primitive in comparison to the Frigus, but with its parasitic tendencies it was the only species that was finally able to check the excesses of the Frigus, leaching off its growth during the polar summers.
Conditions were even tougher for the brave plant-like species that were attempting to colonise the land surface. The large northern continent remained deeply frozen. Other landmasses had expanded with falling sea levels, but had become largely arid due to changing ocean currents. Most were also rather cold, with lakes regularly freezing over. Thus the diversity of inshore plants that emerged during the late Petrosian could not continue; the shelled, leaf-producing forms descended from the Neobarrus were the main casualties.
The descendants of the wind-gliding Pioneer lived on, with two branches having different strategies: the Spiffus was able to hibernate through tough times, while the Grabattum was a little more successful in being actively adapted for the cold. Meanwhile the Tambenus evolved from swampland Exo-Algae to become arguably the first true land plant, complete with versatile roots, toughened exterior skin and heightened resistance to drying out, though it was still able to grow in standing water. In some of the warmer landmasses near the equator, Tambenus was the first lifeform to spread far beyond the bounds of rivers and lakes.
The deep ocean habitats were not unaffected by the surface changes. While life remained much the same around the volcanic vents, there was a shortage of edible material falling from above. The Deepgnu was unable to benefit from the indegistable Frigus remains that were now raining down from the upper water layers. It came to be replaced by the opportunistic Deephunter, which was an efficient long-distance crawler equipped with teeth for chewing and sometimes fighting – fighting mostly with each other, but more rarely the volcanic vent-dwelling Soleneids.
The end of the Frigurian era was marked by wild fluctuations in climate. Massive volcanic eruptions at the north pole heralded the breakup of that continent, increasing both the greenhouse effect and the efficient circulation of ocean water. But as ice sheets began to melt, vast amounts of fresh water flooded into the oceans causing havoc with the global currents, shutting them down and repeatedly swinging the global climate back towards freezing over. It remained to be seen if cold conditions would continue or finally reverse.
Bonuses:
Frigus - TerrisH has +1 Gene Bonus
Astercula - Terrance has +1 Gene Bonus
Dentinus - merciary has +1 Gene Bonus
Innovation award: Helicus – Lord_Iggy has +1 Gene Bonus
IMPORTANT NOTES:
* Apologies for the two weeks it took to update. Better than last time, but hopefully this can be shortened further. @MoreEpicThanYou, previous to my last comment I had just woken up at 2:30 AM local, after taking what I hoped would be a short nap around 10pm – was feeling frustrated
* Introducing a controversial new rule, the Three-in-a-Line Rule (opinions welcome!): a player may not make an unbranched line of evolution consisting of more than three of his/her own species, except if both ancestor species are extinct. This means that Algeroth can evolve the Silvaetus line one step further (there is not currently an opportunity to sidebranch), but MoreEpicThanYou cannot evolve the Virafilium any further until there is a side branch from the Toxifilium (or it goes extinct). Other players can however evolve the Virafilium.
This may be a heavy-handed approach, but I don't like the straight lines on the tree of life. I don't like the idea of players working towards an artificial goal, basically ignoring the updates and being ignorant of other player's evolutions. NESLife3 suffered from that I think. I'd like to encourage the opposite: be creative, don't try too hard on one particular branch of life; there are plenty of opportunities to diversify and thrive! I know I'm not making things easier with the slowness of the updates, but I really think this is important.
* Also, I am no longer allowing repetitive species names, EG: Alges Felix, Alges Felis, Alges Felidae. As Iggy pointed out earlier, our 'species' are really whole groups/families of species, if this was mapped out to a real world. So it makes sense not to have a 'genus' name in there for each 'species'; it is confusing and adds clutter on the tree of life. If anyone submits such a name in future, I will simply ignore the repeated part!
* Finally, Before evolving a predator: what creatures are you trying to eat? Do you have the senses to find them, the speed to catch them, the weapons to subdue them? I am trying to give all this due thought, working out how the species will interact.
* Species that didn't make the cut this time:
Incaesor: Randomness
It was close, but this just lost out to the Deephunter. Smell sense is useful, the main problem here is the lack of tools to actually subdue prey. Against its ancestors, its an exhausting duel of tentacles with no real advantage. Against the Deephunter or Methanovermis, it faces teeth and jaws. In the original role of bacteriavore, its now less efficient that its ancestors and competitors. Thus, no place for this species :/
Litoribarrus: Krzowwh
Again this was close, but something had to give with so many competing coastal/land plants emerging during a period of marginal warmth (this would've been the fourth new species this turn). A shell provides protection and leaves allow it to smother other plants or gather sunlight from a larger area. But the leaves are also vulnerable to climate and/or nibbling when extended. Also, its actual biochemistry remained primitive. Others have more efficient photosynthesis, can hibernate or just survive the hard times. There were better fits for both tidal and land terrains, sadly ending this line of evolution.
Hydratta: Daftpanzer
Yep, my own species. I had drawn it and everything. But when I came to think about it, it was big, yet not safe enough from predators. Slow and dumb and inefficient, it would've been eaten away and out-competed for plankton.
Link to video.
This era is named after the Frigus, a type of cold-adapted free-floating algae that bloomed in enormous quantities after the end of the Petrosian era. As the climate cooled, conditions in the polar seas greatly favoured the growth of Frigus, which led to a feedback effect; as sea levels dropped due to thick glaciers over the north polar continent, this had left some isolated seas that were poorly circulated and had anoxic conditions at the bottom. Here especially, Frigus remains fell to the sea floor at a faster rate than they could be scavenged or decomposed by bacteria. This led to a steady leaching of carbon from the atmosphere over many thousands of years, leading to ever cooler temperatures and ever greater blooms of Frigus - a runaway cycle that did not end until both poles had completely frozen over, while most other complex lifeforms had already been banished to a relatively narrow band of habitats around the equator.
Frigus had accidentally terraformed the planet for its own benefit, blooming in greater numbers than any other single species of complex life up until this point, and the global climate was now at its coldest point for hundreds of millions of years. The Frigurian Era had begun.
Spoiler Life Forms! :
Across the board, this era was marked by many extinctions and population crashes. Most of the Petrosian flora and fauna were able to survive, and indeed continued to evolve and adapt, however the loss of suitable warm habitat and fluctuating sea levels greatly upped the stakes for survival. It was not quite a major extinction event, but all branches of life were thinned out; a notable victim was the Spirulus, an iconic lifeform of the previous eras, which was overtaken by changing conditions and competition from its more sophisticated relatives.
The Circulatus was one such species, a bottom-dwelling creature that became king of what remained of the warm shallow seafloor. Continuing the Spiculid dominance of the food chain, well armed with harpoons, teeth and spikes, armoured within a fused exterior shell, and well equipped with senses, it was able to sniff out meals including its simpler cousin the Avaricus, which soon became extinct. Circulatus needed all of these tools as prey became much more difficult to crack.
Dentius was a more humble creature, but also highly successful, as it evolved its own shell in reponse to Spiculid dangers. Dentius also had its own set of sharp extendible teeth, designed for scraping bacteria and algae from sea rocks but equally dangerous to delicate sensory organs of the Circulatus and Tremulus. Dentius was able to thrive at the expense of other shallow-water creatures such as the Oreallie, and its own ancestor the Locosensus, in time outnumbering the Circulatus and becoming one of the characteristic fossils laid down at this time.
With their shells providing some protection, both Dentius and Circulatus could make short forays out of water onto equatorial beaches, joining declining populations of Polychende in a fight for food among the tide pools. But when it came to survival on land, animal life was lagging far behind plant life...
Meanwhile, strange new creatures upset the balance in the shallows. Carnes Vermis was a radical evolution of the ancient horsehockytu, which had developed a sharp beak to defend its burrow entrances and a primitive internal skeleton to support the necessary muscles. Combined with its burrowing tendencies the Carnes was very difficult prey, and in its adult form could even go swimming above the sediment, searching for prey of its own.
But strangest of all was the Chalivermis, which had evolved from deep-sea Soleneids and was genetically distinct from anything else living in the shallows. Here it continued the Soleneid speciality of sifting through sediment and cultivating bacteria in its digestive tract, with benefits for the cycling of nutrients throughout the shallows. It was however far from being a helpless worm-analogue, as it was protected with powerful jaws and flexible scale armour.
Creeposilvaetus was a notable success among the warm-water algaeforms, being versatile enough to live as spires attached to the seabed or drifting as smaller clumps or individuals in open water. Thicker outer skins provided some measure of defence from nibbling animals, and also some defence against drying out if caught out by the tide, allowing it to grow more comfortably in the large tidal zones and estuaries that had been created by falling sea levels.
The Petrosa Sparguntur, icon of the previous era, retained a stable population but was now concentrated in a few major reef areas that had suitable combination of shallow rocky seabeds and reliably warm temperatures. These reefs were the last outposts of the shy Oreallie, which emerged at night to scavenge among the Petrosa towers, and the flambouyant Aguvericus that now used its speed and eyesight to snatch individual larvae swimming in the reef and to stay away from most other creatures.
The reefs were also home to large numbers of Astercula, descended from the passive drifting branch of Spiculids, which accidentally formed a kind of mutalism with the Petrosa spires; Astercula colonies attached themselves with barbed spikes to the surface of the spires, clearing them of entangling growths such as the parasitic Ngarta and Atjja, and providing additional defence against attack by Oreallie, in return benefiting from the water current generated by the Petrosa and claiming a share of the plankton it carried. Eventually, newly-grown spheres of Astercula would carry Petrosa larvae away with them as they drifted off into open water.
The adaptable Astercula were also at home in open water, attaching to growths of algae and Filiophyta. However, the oceans were empty compared to previous eras. Rarely were the waters both warm enough and rich enough in nutrients to support the vast floating colonial masses that had characterised the Petrosian era; both Photofilium and Neofloatus were completely extinct by the end of this era.
The Gaiafilium was a new, adaptable branch of Filiophyta that had most success as free swimming individuals, though could form large colonies when conditions were right. Like the Photofilium, it filtered plankton and made use of sunlight for some of its biochemistry. It was the main prey of the Virafilium, a vicious predatory cousin that had turned defensive poison spines into an offensive weapon, combined with primitive eyesight for tracking down prey.
Spirulids suffered a marked decline in the open ocean. Tremulus no longer had masses of algae and colonial filter-feeders to plough through. Its new cousin the Helicus was similarly a rare and beautiful sight; though equipped with water jet propulsion providing rapid bursts of speed – another example of the versatility of the Spirulid body form - it was relegated to a largely passive plankton-eating lifestyle by competition with the Virafilium, and was ousted from the shallows by the Circulatus. It did however have one advantage in the form of its temperature sensitivity, which was not so useful for hunting as for following ocean currents that were ideal for plankton.
The most succesful algaeforms in the open water were non-colonial. The Felis struggled to survive in the shadow of its descendent the Felidae, which now combined its evasive swimming response with coordinated poisoning of the water in response to animal attacks. Efficient photosynthesis and massive production of spores ensured the survival of these species in the warmer water.
However, as mentioned, it was their cousin the Frigus which had the greatest success of all. Although its biochemistry was adapted for colder conditions, it could still thrive in warmer water. Mild poison made the Frigus harder to digest and it was not a favourite meal of any animal. It was able to spread freely across the globe, spreading back and forth between the poles as seasons progressed. Though it could not survive the harshest, icy waters, it now had a far greater zone of habitability, and could bloom unchecked during the long polar summers. By the midpoint of the Frigurian era, at any given time, the Frigus had greater biomass than all other complex life combined.
Inevitably, though, other lifeforms also began to adapt to the cold. The Locofrigus spread to cooler shallows abandoned by other lifeforms, using its sense of smell to scavenge for detritus among the sediments without much trouble from predators. It too began to breed in great numbers. Meanwhile the Atjja was another cold-adapted algaeform, rather primitive in comparison to the Frigus, but with its parasitic tendencies it was the only species that was finally able to check the excesses of the Frigus, leaching off its growth during the polar summers.
Conditions were even tougher for the brave plant-like species that were attempting to colonise the land surface. The large northern continent remained deeply frozen. Other landmasses had expanded with falling sea levels, but had become largely arid due to changing ocean currents. Most were also rather cold, with lakes regularly freezing over. Thus the diversity of inshore plants that emerged during the late Petrosian could not continue; the shelled, leaf-producing forms descended from the Neobarrus were the main casualties.
The descendants of the wind-gliding Pioneer lived on, with two branches having different strategies: the Spiffus was able to hibernate through tough times, while the Grabattum was a little more successful in being actively adapted for the cold. Meanwhile the Tambenus evolved from swampland Exo-Algae to become arguably the first true land plant, complete with versatile roots, toughened exterior skin and heightened resistance to drying out, though it was still able to grow in standing water. In some of the warmer landmasses near the equator, Tambenus was the first lifeform to spread far beyond the bounds of rivers and lakes.
The deep ocean habitats were not unaffected by the surface changes. While life remained much the same around the volcanic vents, there was a shortage of edible material falling from above. The Deepgnu was unable to benefit from the indegistable Frigus remains that were now raining down from the upper water layers. It came to be replaced by the opportunistic Deephunter, which was an efficient long-distance crawler equipped with teeth for chewing and sometimes fighting – fighting mostly with each other, but more rarely the volcanic vent-dwelling Soleneids.
The end of the Frigurian era was marked by wild fluctuations in climate. Massive volcanic eruptions at the north pole heralded the breakup of that continent, increasing both the greenhouse effect and the efficient circulation of ocean water. But as ice sheets began to melt, vast amounts of fresh water flooded into the oceans causing havoc with the global currents, shutting them down and repeatedly swinging the global climate back towards freezing over. It remained to be seen if cold conditions would continue or finally reverse.
Bonuses:
Frigus - TerrisH has +1 Gene Bonus
Astercula - Terrance has +1 Gene Bonus
Dentinus - merciary has +1 Gene Bonus
Innovation award: Helicus – Lord_Iggy has +1 Gene Bonus
IMPORTANT NOTES:
* Apologies for the two weeks it took to update. Better than last time, but hopefully this can be shortened further. @MoreEpicThanYou, previous to my last comment I had just woken up at 2:30 AM local, after taking what I hoped would be a short nap around 10pm – was feeling frustrated
* Introducing a controversial new rule, the Three-in-a-Line Rule (opinions welcome!): a player may not make an unbranched line of evolution consisting of more than three of his/her own species, except if both ancestor species are extinct. This means that Algeroth can evolve the Silvaetus line one step further (there is not currently an opportunity to sidebranch), but MoreEpicThanYou cannot evolve the Virafilium any further until there is a side branch from the Toxifilium (or it goes extinct). Other players can however evolve the Virafilium.
This may be a heavy-handed approach, but I don't like the straight lines on the tree of life. I don't like the idea of players working towards an artificial goal, basically ignoring the updates and being ignorant of other player's evolutions. NESLife3 suffered from that I think. I'd like to encourage the opposite: be creative, don't try too hard on one particular branch of life; there are plenty of opportunities to diversify and thrive! I know I'm not making things easier with the slowness of the updates, but I really think this is important.
* Also, I am no longer allowing repetitive species names, EG: Alges Felix, Alges Felis, Alges Felidae. As Iggy pointed out earlier, our 'species' are really whole groups/families of species, if this was mapped out to a real world. So it makes sense not to have a 'genus' name in there for each 'species'; it is confusing and adds clutter on the tree of life. If anyone submits such a name in future, I will simply ignore the repeated part!
* Finally, Before evolving a predator: what creatures are you trying to eat? Do you have the senses to find them, the speed to catch them, the weapons to subdue them? I am trying to give all this due thought, working out how the species will interact.
* Species that didn't make the cut this time:
Incaesor: Randomness
It was close, but this just lost out to the Deephunter. Smell sense is useful, the main problem here is the lack of tools to actually subdue prey. Against its ancestors, its an exhausting duel of tentacles with no real advantage. Against the Deephunter or Methanovermis, it faces teeth and jaws. In the original role of bacteriavore, its now less efficient that its ancestors and competitors. Thus, no place for this species :/
Litoribarrus: Krzowwh
Again this was close, but something had to give with so many competing coastal/land plants emerging during a period of marginal warmth (this would've been the fourth new species this turn). A shell provides protection and leaves allow it to smother other plants or gather sunlight from a larger area. But the leaves are also vulnerable to climate and/or nibbling when extended. Also, its actual biochemistry remained primitive. Others have more efficient photosynthesis, can hibernate or just survive the hard times. There were better fits for both tidal and land terrains, sadly ending this line of evolution.
Hydratta: Daftpanzer
Yep, my own species. I had drawn it and everything. But when I came to think about it, it was big, yet not safe enough from predators. Slow and dumb and inefficient, it would've been eaten away and out-competed for plankton.
Terrance888
Discord Reigns
Great Update!
I'll be thinking up something soon. I want to evolve the Oreallie but I can't really think if anything plausible or interesting right now-hopefully that will fix soon. I seem to have a +1 too-thanks!
I think I agree with your Three-in-a-line rule for now. If they simply get better the more efficient oldies will die out in time for the niche to broaden. If you branch/evolve at the same time you won't have a problem with the limit in most cases. Will you mark in Creature States where such evolution is not allowed? Also, will "endangered" and/or "threatened" creatures count?
INTERRUPTEDIT: For example. Can I update Astercula since Stellaculus is endangered and Stellacula is just there? Or will that violate the 3 in a row rule?
EDITEDIT: Misunderstanding! 3 of my OWN in a row, not 3 of ANY in a row. Gotcha.
YES for no repetitive species names. I like same-styles of names, I don't like repetitive. And yes for more consideration for predators.
EDITEDITEDIT: Here we go. Yes, I'm doubling up. However, being that Astercula is the ONLY herbivore of this time, and there is a massive plant-mass bounty out there just to be digested, I feel justified.
Becomes
(OOC: I know drifting=/= swimming. It's not like plants can run away. Once the call comes out, they activate their drifting sails/whatever and inch closer, taking advantages of the wakes of other creatures, currents, wave flows, what have you to inch, zombie like, to their meal)
EDITEDITEDITEDIT:
I Find this Really Sad.
I'll be thinking up something soon. I want to evolve the Oreallie but I can't really think if anything plausible or interesting right now-hopefully that will fix soon. I seem to have a +1 too-thanks!
I think I agree with your Three-in-a-line rule for now. If they simply get better the more efficient oldies will die out in time for the niche to broaden. If you branch/evolve at the same time you won't have a problem with the limit in most cases. Will you mark in Creature States where such evolution is not allowed? Also, will "endangered" and/or "threatened" creatures count?
INTERRUPTEDIT: For example. Can I update Astercula since Stellaculus is endangered and Stellacula is just there? Or will that violate the 3 in a row rule?
EDITEDIT: Misunderstanding! 3 of my OWN in a row, not 3 of ANY in a row. Gotcha.
YES for no repetitive species names. I like same-styles of names, I don't like repetitive. And yes for more consideration for predators.
EDITEDITEDIT: Here we go. Yes, I'm doubling up. However, being that Astercula is the ONLY herbivore of this time, and there is a massive plant-mass bounty out there just to be digested, I feel justified.
Becomes
It is inevitable. With the bounty of the Frigus that the Astercula would be tempted to poke around and take a bite. This results usually in death of nearly all... but the survivors join new spheres, and their genes mixed in, and soon they preyed on the ubiquitous plants. With their barbed spears some are carried by current deep into the frozen wastes of the north-and the survivors quickly multiplied to take advantage of the bounty. The plant matter is surrounded by the chemical stench to feed, attracting ever more individuals, and spheres, multiplying and cooperating. The new generation spread out inexorably, scouts seeking new plants, calling their friends to the feast. The weak freeze, or die of poison, of parasitism, or of lack of reproduction. The strong, the strong multiply in the thousands. While the individual Glacistaram can still be found, by now most Glacistaram drift in small semi-specialized groups, not specializing until swarming into spheres. Although colonial and still individual, slowly their specializations and their prey leads to the path others have walked already. The Glacistaram are Legion.
(OOC: I know drifting=/= swimming. It's not like plants can run away. Once the call comes out, they activate their drifting sails/whatever and inch closer, taking advantages of the wakes of other creatures, currents, wave flows, what have you to inch, zombie like, to their meal)
EDITEDITEDITEDIT:
I Find this Really Sad.
